According to David Autor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other economists, income increases with every year of education. College graduates earn nearly double the amount per hour as compared to high school graduates. People who have finished four years of college earn more than those who have completed just two. Today, we are living in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. From cyber-physical systems to cloud computing and artificial intelligence to augmented reality, the Internet of things has taken over every aspect of our personal as well as work lives. To survive as an employee in this age of cutthroat competition and ever-evolving market trends, it is pivotal to keep learning new skills. It automatically becomes important for a company’s growth that its employees keep learning and evolving as per demands of the market. According to a report, more than half of employees around the world don’t have opportunities for growth.
Linkedin’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report says that employees who are too busy cease to learn new things. A tightening labour market and short shelf life of skills are giving rise to a major business-skill gap. SMEs and startups are fighting to stay ahead of the curve, trying to hold onto their best talent and struggling to fill key positions. Employees are conscious and struggling to stay relevant in the age of automation. The report indicates that over 68 percent of employees prefer learning at workplaces.
Here are 4 ways to ensure that:
Embrace automation
A recent KellyOCG report suggests that it is time to embrace automation and harness the power of machines to help humans achieve more. Automation is gathering pace and it affects all workers across the board. But the good news is that technology and machines will never replace the need for humans. C-suite leaders surveyed recognise that machines are here to support workers in becoming better and faster so that they can focus on what they do best: exercise empathy, creativity, leadership, critical thinking, and more.
Here’s what we thought about the KellyOCG report
According to the report, APAC C-suites’ key intention for AI and machines is not to replace jobs, but to enhance humans’ efficiency at work. It suggests that around 86 percent of C-suite leaders in the APAC region automate work processes to increase employees’ efficiency and productivity.
Utilise online resources well
There is no dearth of online resources for employee orientation. From skills to technologies, the internet has courses on and about everything. However, implementing and delivering successful employee training using online resources can be quite challenging. A survey by Association for Talent Development of 340 organizations found that only 16 percent of responding companies use online training methods that allow employees to set their own pace.
The most efficient way to make the best of online resources is by setting definite goals, defining outcomes and abiding by these parameters while designing the training program. Regular feedback sessions and giving employees the time to self-analyse during the training is yet another important factor. According to a study by Harvard Business School, participants who are asked to stop and reflect on a task perform better than participants who just practice a task. So by giving, and encouraging, employees time to reflect upon what they’re doing, learning can be quicker and more reinforced.
Incorporate mobile training modules
Studies conducted across different parts of Southeast Asia this year reveal that around 63 percent of companies have remote workers, and more than half do not have a remote work policy at all! Another report shows that 60 percent of these employees do not even know what their company’s vision is. This is an alarming data. With so many SMEs and startups adapting to hiring remote workers, the need for a proper mobile training module is urgent. One of the easiest and most efficient ways to impart training via mobile phones can be through applications.
Mobile training applications will not only ensure that employees are up-to-date on all the latest information, but also give every employee the option to learn about the company. They can understand the outcomes expected out of them and accordingly learn to upgrade their skill set.
Focus on the individual development of each employee
The KellyOCG report suggests that 2 in 5 organizations in the Asia-Pacific region do not have clear recruitment, engagement, and retention programs tailored to each segment of the multi-generational workforce. Also, 1/2 of an organization’s workforce stays for less than three years, similar to the tenures of contingent workers.
According to Forbes, one of the most important factors that can help in nurturing and retaining talent is providing them with personal development opportunities. The key to getting optimum results out of personal training programs is understanding the fact that not one-size-fits-all. Joseph Folkman writes in another Forbes article that most personal development plans fail because they’re not driven by the individual and his or her interests.
Carefully developing a tailor-made on-job training program and executing it at the grass root level is the key to allowing personal growth of employees at the workplace. Innovative learning methods and the right balance between hands-on and online training will help the workforce to be ready for tomorrow.
There is no denying the fact that the personal growth of staff members eventually creates a better work environment that catapults the company’s progress. These methods will not only ensure that the workplace remains a progressive and constructive space but will also steer the company’s motion in a positive direction.
Talent recruitment and retention is a struggle. Find out what Pulsifi is doing about it